Why This New Jersey Town Is Subsidizing Its Residents’ Uber Rides

Uber uber is giving New Jersey commuters rides on the government’s dime.

The town of Summit, New Jersey recently announced a partnership with Uber to help decrease parking congestion at the local train station. They’re beginning with a 6-month pilot program that officially began on October 3. The town’s residents can request Uber rides to and from the Summit train station, as long as the pick up/drop off destination is within the city limits.

The pilot will be limited to about 100 commuters that will be chosen based on an online application. It could be extended to more people if the program goes well. The program meant to put off building a new parking lot or garage, which a Summit press release states would cost taxpayers $5 million over 20 years. With the new Uber program, anyone with a resident parking pass can get up to two free rides per weekday between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. For those without a resident parking pass, each ride costs $2.

This isn’t the first time that Uber has partnered up with a local government. Fortune reported last month that both Uber and Lyft have entered into a partnership with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to offer subsidized rides to people with disabilities.

Donors Give Over $30,000 to Homeless Man and Friend Who Discovered NJ Bombs

Scores of people are paying tribute to the two men who discovered the explosives in New Jersey last weekend and helped thwart a potentially more dangerous attack.

When Lee Parker spotted a backpack lying on top of a trash can outside the Elizabeth train station last Sunday, he thought it was his lucky break. It just so happened that Parker, who was homeless, needed a bag for his job interview the next day, not wanting to have to show up with the blue plastic shopping bag he had been using as a hold-all.

“All of a sudden we look on the garbage can and on top of the can there was a pretty new backpack,” said Parker’s friend, Ivan White, a retired veteran. “Just sitting on top!”

The two picked up the bag and walked around for a while. But when they opened it up, they realized something was not right.

“I said we need to go to the police station right now because this is a bomb,” Parker told ABC7. “It wasn’t the cartoon bomb with a tick-tock tick-tock clock but it had wires. I had seen enough pictures of pipe bombs and different devices in books, magazines. I knew what I was looking at as soon as I saw it.”

Parker and White took their findings to the police, who discovered that the bag held as many as five pipe bombs. One exploded when authorities used a robot to dissemble it.

Donald Goncalves, a lifelong resident of Elizabeth who works with local nonprofit At Heart’s Length, agreed. He set out to thank the men, setting up a GoFundMe page for anyone who wanted to pitch in with donations. By early Monday morning, the page had almost 1,000 donations totaling more than $30,000.

As for Parker, another nonprofit has already found him an apartment, Goncalves told The Washington Post. He wasn’t able to make it to his interview for a truck loader position last Monday, but another company in the area has already been in contact to offer him a job.

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged the Afghan-born man suspected of weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey with 10 counts including use of weapons of mass destruction, portraying him as a jihadist who begged for martyrdom and praised Osama bin Laden.

The suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahami, bought bomb components on eBay, made a video of himself testing out homemade explosives, and kept a journal expressing outrage at the U.S. “slaughter” of mujahideen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Palestine, federal officials allege.

“Inshallah (God willing), the sounds of bombs will be heard in the streets. Gun shots to your police. Death to your oppression,” Rahami, who came to the United States at age 7, wrote in a journal he was carrying when arrested.

Rahami was apprehended on Monday in Linden, New Jersey, after a shootout with police that left him with multiple gunshot wounds. He was listed in critical but stable condition on Tuesday, and police had not yet been able to interview him in depth, New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill said.

Federal prosecutors from separate districts in New York and New Jersey charged him with four and six counts respectively.

In addition to leaving the bomb that exploded on Saturday evening in the Manhattan district of Chelsea that wounded 31 people, they allege he planted a pipe bomb on the New Jersey shore that injured no one when it exploded on Saturday morning.

He also is accused of planting another pressure-cooker bomb in Chelsea that failed to explode, and multiple devices at a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey. One of those exploded as a bomb squad robot attempted to defuse it.

The charging documents and accompanying sworn statements from Federal Bureau of Investigation agents offer the first official explanation of what they believe to be the bomber’s motive.

As the charges were made public, the White House for the first time said it appeared the attacks were an act of terrorism. Earlier in the investigation, officials had withheld such an assessment until they could discern a motive.

“It does appear this was an act of terrorism,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said during a press briefing in New York City.

At least one victim in the Chelsea blast was knocked unconscious and another hospitalized to remove ball bearings from her body, metal fragmentation from her ear and wood shards from her neck, the charging documents say.

Surveillance video from the bomb scenes and fingerprints on unexploded devices also point to Rahami, according to the documents.

The three counts of using weapons of mass destruction, one from New York and two from New Jersey, each carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

In addition to the federal charges, New Jersey state prosecutors from Union County have charged Rahami with five counts of attempted first-degree murder for firing at police officers and two second-degree weapons counts.

Other parts of Rahami’s journal praise “Brother” Osama bin Laden; Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Muslim cleric and leading al Qaeda propagandist who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011; and Nidal Hasan, the U.S. Army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 people and wounded 32 at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.

“I beg … for shahadat (martyrdom) and inshallah this call will be answered,” he wrote in a passage expressing concern about getting caught.

Video found on a family member’s mobile phone dated two days before the bombings and taken near his home in New Jersey showed him lighting a fuse that igniting incendiary material packed in a partially buried cylinder.

An eBay account linked to Rahami bought a precursor chemical used in explosives, circuit boards and ball bearings that matched the explosives and remnants collected at the crime scenes, the documents said.

Investigators also traced mobile phones used in the bombs to Rahami and said he played jihadist videos from social media.

Earlier on Tuesday Rahami’s father said he had reported concerns about his son being involved with militants to the Federal Bureau of Investigations two years ago.

The FBI acknowledged it had investigated Rahami in 2014, but found no “ties to terrorism” and dropped its inquiry.

His father, Mohammad Rahami, briefly emerged on Tuesday from the family’s restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey, about 20 miles (30 km) west of New York City, telling reporters, “I called the FBI two years ago.”

The FBI said in a statement that it began an assessment of the younger Rahami in 2014 based on comments his father made about his son after “a domestic dispute.”

The FBI is investigating the stabbing spree in a Minnesota mall, in which 9 people were injured, as a “potential act of terrorism” after an ISIS-run news agency claimed the attacker was a “soldier of the Islamic State,” the New York Times reported.

“ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack in Minnesota, and this should steel our resolve to protect our country and defeat ISIS and other terrorist groups,” Clinton said in a statement.

Commending first responders’ bravery after the attacks, the presidential candidate laid out her plans to defeat terrorist groups, which includes “launching an intelligence surge to help identify and thwart attacks before they can be carried out,” working with Silicon Valley to “counter propaganda and recruitment efforts online” and stopping lone wolf attackers.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the explosion in Manhattan that injured 29 “an intentional act,” but said authorities are not yet aware of the motive behind it at a news conference on Sunday.

“America has faced threats before, and our resilience in the face of them only makes us stronger,” Clinton said. “I am confident we will once again choose resolve over fear.”

Clinton’s Republican rival, Donald Trump, tweeted that he wishes his “warmest regards, best wishes and condolences” to the victims of the New York City bombing.

Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said on Twitter that the possible explosion happened at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday on West 23rd Street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. NYPD Special Ops reported in a tweet that a possible secondary device has been located nearby.

“We believe this was an intentional act,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. He tweeted: “Investigation is ongoing. Though we believe this was an intentional act, there is no credible terror threat against NYC at this moment.”

The New York Fire Department initially said on Twitter that at least 25 people were hurt. As of 11:30PM, the NYPD updated that number to 29 injuries, one considered serious. 24 were taken to area hospitals.

Video broadcast on TV and images posted on social media showed police, fire trucks and other first responders arriving on the scene. The area where the blast occurred is a major thoroughfare with many restaurants. Witnesses say FBI and Homeland Security officials are also at the scene.

The blast occurred the same day that an explosive device detonated on Saturday morning before an annual New Jersey road race benefiting U.S. Marines and sailors, authorities said. However, Mayor de Blasio stated that based on current information on the New York City explosion there is “no connection to an earlier incident in NJ.”

The pipe bomb had been inside a trash can on the boardwalk in Seaside Park, N.J., the Associated Press reported.

Thousands of people were set to take part in the 5K race, which has since been canceled. Runners were expected to pass by that area of the boardwalk at the time of the explosion, but the start of the race was delayed when an unattended backpack was found, the AP reported.

No injuries have been reported, according to the AP. The incident is still being investigated by state and federal authorities.

Presidential Impersonators Are Having a Field Day with Donald Trump

Lampooning political leaders is an art form dating back to time immemorial. This year is no exception, and the presidential candidates are taking their fair share of ribbing. One, however, is receiving more than the others.

A lot more.

If the number of people impersonating a presidential candidate translated to general election votes, Donald Trump would win in a landslide, crushing his competition in both the popular vote and the Electoral College.

Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have their impersonators as well, but compared to the presumptive Republican nominee, it’s not even close. In fact, it’s a rout of Reagan-Mondale proportions.

Celebrity Impersonators and Tribute Artist is a Las Vegas-based company that books celebrity impersonators for meet-and-greets and corporate functions. Founder and director Elyse Del Francia said that the company represents approximately 1,200 celebrity impersonators and books roughly 100 events a year. She said that about 100 of her artists work on a regular basis, and only half of those specialize in impersonations of political figures.

Del Francia told Fortune that this year, there’s been lopsided demand for Donald Trump impersonators, far outpacing Hillary Clinton impersonators. “There aren’t that many Hillarys,” she said. “There are more Donalds by far. Two of our Bill Clintons are doing Donald Trumps, because they haven’t been busy.”

Her most popular celebrity impersonators are her Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. The top ones earn “between $200,000 and $300,000 a year,” she said, though she also notes that her best Bill Clinton impersonator “got $10,000 a day for eight years.” John Di Domenico, who has been impersonating Trump for 12 years, has said that his rates have been jacked up — he’s earning almost $10,000 a booking.

Even actors and comedians on late-night shows, such as Saturday Night Live, have been busy impersonating Trump; Clinton, not so much. In any other year, the historical nature of her candidacy would make Hillary Clinton the main character, as Barack Obama was when he ran in 2008. However, in 2016, she’s playing a distant second fiddle to The Donald. Why is this?

According to Del Francia, Trump is “more of a character you can joke with. Hillary is more serious. When clients are looking for someone to mix and mingle with, or have a meet-and-greet for corporate events, they want someone that’s funny, and he just has to open his mouth.”

Del Francia added that physical appearance is a factor as well. “Donald Trump doesn’t look like a normal person,” she said. “Hillary is a normal looking woman. She doesn’t have an orange face. Hillary is a good speaker, and she uses comedy in her speeches, but Donald Trump is a character. That’s what the main attraction is.”

Meryl Streep as Trump in a June 2016 impersonation that went viral. (Photograph by Paul Zimmerman—WireImage)

If Hillary Clinton supporters are saddened by this turn of events, they should take comfort in the fact that it could be worse. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has been completely forsaken by those hiring talent for corporate events. “Bernie, I haven’t had a request for,” Del Francia said.

That’s bad news for aspiring Bernie Sanders impersonators, because according to Del Francia, there’s good scratch to be made on the impersonation circuit. If you’re having a small party and just want “Bernie” to knock on your door and make a brief impromptu appearance, than can cost between $1,800 and $2,500. For something more complicated, the price can go up considerably.

“Is there keynote speaking?” she asked. “It can be $15,000 if it’s a speaking engagement. If he’s going to be introduced to the ABC network’s Christmas gathering, then it’s a different fee, because he has to prepare for a speaking part, and he’s there for maybe a few hours.”

Fortune asked Del Francia if she believed that the outsized demand for Donald Trump impersonators would translate to a general election victory for the real estate mogul. After all, according to Time, “the sale of presidential candidates’ Halloween masks has directly corresponded to the electoral outcome ever since Ronald Reagan’s rubber likeness outsold Jimmy Carter’s.”

Could the same principle apply to the number of candidate impersonators’ bookings? Del Francia was skeptical, yet guarded, on this score.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “It’s just about entertainment value from our end of it. For the general public, I don’t know. It’s a crazy election this year.”

Fortune presents a rundown of the performers who have perfected the art of lampooning 2016’s presidential candidates, with an outsized emphasis on the Trump impersonations.

Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show” is considered one of the best Trump impersonators in the business. In this clip, he calls President Obama after becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, and commits the unforgivable sin of revealing a “Game of Thrones” spoiler.

Darrell Hammond

Darrell Hammond of “Saturday Night Live” has been impersonating sitting presidents and presidential candidates for years, including Bill Clinton and Al Gore. In this clip he portrays Donald Trump at the press conference that he gave after New Jersey governor Chris Christie endorsed him.

Meryl Streep

Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep impersonated Trump in June at the annual Shakespeare in the Park Public Theater Gala in New York City. Clad in orange makeup, a fat suit and the worst wig in human history, she easily overshadowed co-star Christine Baranksi.

Johnny Depp

Actor Johnny Depp has been having some problems lately. His most recent movie, “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” was a domestic box office flop, and his wife Amber Heard filed for divorce after one year of marriage, alleging that the actor had physically abused her. However, one area where he’s still doing just fine is in the Donald Trump impersonation department, as this May clip from an appearance on “Ellen” attests.

Bob DiBuono

Bob DiBuono impersonates Donald Trump on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” on Comedy Central. In this clip, he presents himself as a more female-friendly candidate than Hillary Clinton, as long as you don’t talk to his ex-wives.

Kate McKinnon

Kate McKinnon impersonates Hillary Clinton on “Saturday Night Live.” In this clip, she portrays the former Secretary of State as she reassures voters that she’s still got this, even after losing seven consecutive primary contests in April.

Larry David

Comedian and “Seinfeld” creator Larry David has impersonated Vermont senator Bernie Sanders on numerous occasions, all to great effect. In this clip from October 2015, he discusses Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal at a Democratic debate.

Here’s What’s At Stake in Tuesday’s Democratic Primaries

On Monday night, The Associated Press officially called the 2016 Democratic Primary race for Hillary Clinton, saying that with the newly pledged support of a number of superdelegates, the former Secretary of State had clinched the nomination.

But six states will still head to the polls on Tuesday, and they’re not meaningless just because of the AP’s call. Here is what’s at stake as voters head to the polls.

California (548 delegates)

California is the most populous state in the nation. It is one of the most Democratic states as well and thus has the largest allotment of delegates. Recent polls show Clinton leading Bernie Sanders in the Golden State by just 2%. Even if Sanders were able to pull off a win in the state, it likely wouldn’t matter in terms of securing the nomination. With delegates awarded proportionally, Clinton will almost surely come away with more than enough delegates to take the race. But a California loss would certainly bruise Clinton. To lose the biggest contest of the primary season, toward the end of the cycle no less, could damage her momentum moving into the general election against Donald Trump. It would also give Sanders a reason to keep up the fight in the weeks leading to the Democratic National Convention.

New Jersey (142 delegates)

The biggest contest on the East Coast will be held in the Garden State. Hillary Clinton is leading handily in New Jersey, with polls putting her up by around 20 points. New Jersey’s diverse population and strong state party both favor Clinton, who has run well with minorities and die-hard Democratic voters. A big win in Jersey could help offset some of the gloom that would come from a Clinton loss in California.

Four other states are voting on Tuesday night — South Dakota (25 delegates), North Dakota (23 delegates), Montana (27 delegates), and New Mexico (43 delegates). With these four states combined offering fewer delegates than New Jersey, though, the focus will be squarely on the coasts.

Fierce Trump Critics Who Now Endorse Donald Trump (In their Own Words)

When Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee in May, those within the party who had resisted him began to line up behind him. They may have had their misgivings, but their constituents had spoken, and they would listen.

One man, however, was not so eager to get with the program – House Speaker Paul Ryan.

“I am not there right now,” he told Jake Tapper of CNN in May, and he wasn’t alone. In a speech at the University of Utah, 2012 Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney offered harsh criticism of the real estate mogul turned politician, saying “dishonesty is Trump’s hallmark.”

“Donald Trump and I have talked at great length about things such as the proper role of the executive and fundamental principles such as the protection of life…..Through these conversations, I feel confident he would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve people’s lives. That’s why I’ll be voting for him this fall.”

Speaker Ryan is not alone in his party as one who once spoke out against Trump, only to endorse him. In fact, it’s not unheard of for a politician to sharply criticize an opponent, then turn around and endorse, or even work for, the very person they had just lambasted.

In 1980, George Bush, Sr. called Ronald Reagan’s supply-side economic proposals “voodoo economics,” then became his vice president. In 2008, Hillary Clinton ran the infamous “3am” ad, which implied that a vote for then-Senator Barack Obama was tantamount to a vote for a nuclear holocaust. Despite the implication that her opponent was too much of a rookie to be trusted with national security matters, she still became his Secretary of State.

Still, the ferocity of the attacks leveled against Trump by Republicans at the local, state and national levels has been downright ugly, and has at times featured invective so hostile that the idea of an endorsement afterwards seemed almost laughable.

Be that as it may, many of these same people put on their best public relations smiles and boarded the Trump train.

Fortune presents a rundown of some of his detractors’ most withering criticisms, followed by their eventual endorsements.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

January 4, 2016: “Showtime is over. We are not electing an entertainer-in-chief. Showmanship is fun, but it is not the kind of leadership that will truly change America.”

February 26, 2016: “There is no one better prepared to provide America with the strong leadership that it needs both at home and around the world than Donald Trump.”

The bromance continues.Photograph by Mel Evans—AP

Texas Senator John Cornyn

February 29, 2016: “We can’t have a nominee be an albatross around the down-ballot races… I think we need someone who can unify the party, as opposed to divide the party.”

December 8, 2015: “[Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban is] just an embarrassment to the Republican Party… It’s absolutely un-American. It’s unconstitutional. It defies everything this country was based on, and it’s just wrong.”

February 23, 2016: “[Todd Akin] was the wrong candidate and it wasn’t until later that they realized that somebody who wasn’t thinking about what they said, who was saying things that were off the wall brought down the party… Donald Trump could be a national Todd Akin if our party doesn’t coalesce behind a single candidate.”

February 19, 2016: “America needs a President with the strength and quiet dignity of George W. Bush, not a feckless pretender like Donald Trump, who has descended into a poor man’s imitation of Michael Moore.”

Neighbors Demand That Princeton Pay Its Fair Share of Property Taxes

Residents of Princeton, New Jersey want the university of the same name to pay its fair share in property taxes.

A five-year-old lawsuit against the Ivy League school, filed by its neighbors, is challenging its tax-exempt status, Bloomberg reports. With a $22.7 billion endowment, Princeton is the fourth richest university in the U.S. If its neighbors win the lawsuit, it could cut their annual property taxes by about a third.

The lawsuit claims that between 2005 and 2010 the school received $524 million in licensing income, mainly from a patent related to the cancer drug Alimta. It also states that Princeton uses some buildings for commercial purposes.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Princeton University’s secretary and vice president, Bob Durkee, said that though the school is tax-exempt, it provides the town with various other benefits:

The university’s contributions go well beyond funding, as evidenced by the affordable housing it provides for community residents; the program it sponsors to allow university staff to serve as volunteer firefighters in Princeton; the students who help staff the first aid and rescue squad; the auditing program it offers to community residents; the intellectual, cultural and athletic events it makes available to community residents; and it supports entities like McCarter Theatre and Garden Theatre.

Unfortunately, watching the Princeton Tigers in action hasn’t been able to distract homeowners from the fact that New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country. Last year the state average was $8,353; the average in Princeton was more than double that.

The attorney representing the plaintiffs in this case, Bruce Afran, estimates that Princeton’s tax bill should be around $40 million, which is 264% more than what it currently pays. He added that the benefits the university provides “are not real economic benefits that help the average person.”

These 3 People Will Fund Your Divorce

Divorce is painful and time-consuming. It’s also expensive. According to a survey by Avvo, an attorney referral, rating and information service, the average divorce cost $15,000 in 2013.

The service also conducted a study that year which found that 58% of people without children cited cost as their top concern in weighing a divorce, outpacing division of property, the amount of time the proceeding would take, or the amount of alimony.

One might think that this issue wouldn’t be a concern for the 1%. After all, can’t they just find the equivalent of the average divorce settlement lodged between the couch cushions? Well, even spouses of billionaires who are hoping to score good settlements don’t always have the unlimited capital required to see through the drawn-out and financially burdensome divorce process. For them, there is a solution — divorce funding.Take Patricia Cohen, ex-wife of Steven Cohen, the founder of the SAC Capital Advisors hedge fund whose estimated net worth is $12.7 billion, according to Forbes.

The couple had divorced in 1990, but years later, Ms. Cohen claimed that her ex-husband owed her millions of dollars that he concealed during the decades-old divorce proceeding. According to her attorney, Gerald Lefcourt, she pursued divorce funding in order to have a fair shot at challenging her billionaire ex-husband in court.

‘‘The average person who has a good job making $100,000 a year is middle class, but totally shut out of the legal system,’’ he told the New York Times. ‘‘You can’t fight a big case. How do you do it?’’

According to the New York Times, a New York City divorce funding business called Balance Point “signed a deal with Ms. Cohen in the summer of 2013 to provide Ms. Cohen with about $1.2 million to continue her litigation.”

Without Ms. Cohen’s financial ability to continue litigation, “Mr. Cohen had no real motivation to settle with her,” Forbes wrote of the ongoing proceedings. “Now that she can fund the suit, he can’t ignore it.”

Stacey Napp, CEO of Balance Point, disputed press accounts but wouldn’t provide any specifics. “Balance Point has never indicated that it provided funding for any particular case,” she said in an email to Fortune. “FYI, our policy is not to comment on any funded case unless a client asks us to do so.”

Divorce funding companies don’t all operate in the same way, and they aren’t all paid in the same way. Some take a percentage of the final proceeds, some charge a flat fee and others charge only the interest on the money spent to finance the case. Fortune takes a look at three of the best-known players in this new industry.

Balance Point Divorce Funding

CEO: Stacey NappBackstory: Napp opened the business in 2009 after enduring a divorce of her own as the “out-spouse,” or the one who’s not in charge of a couple’s finances. The so-called “in-spouse,” who controls the couple’s money, will often draw out a divorce proceeding until the out-spouse has run out of money, she claimed. “This is a tried and true game plan,” she said.Who her clients are: Napp said that the company’s average client has been married for at least 12 years and has significant wealth, perhaps $12 million. But usually the client comes to her because the litigation process has been grinding on for years, with little to show for it.Weird story: “We have a client who was actually offered a wheelbarrow, one goat and a ladder, while the husband had managed to transfer to family and related entities approximately 1,000 acres of prime agricultural land,” she said.How clients are charged:Balance Point takes a percentage of whatever the client wins. She wouldn’t say how much.What clients say:“I am told by clients that more valuable than the money we provide is the support to clients, which in and of itself has been a 24/7 business,” she said.

BBL Churchill

CEO: Brendan LyleBackstory: Lyle hails from Australia, where he worked as a barrister and saw clients exploited by wealthy spouses on a repeated basis. This inspired him to found BBL Churchill in 2012.Their average loan:According to The Economist, BBL’s average loan is approximately $300,000 in New York state, with a typical interest rate of approximately 16%. The size of the loan is less outside of New York state, unsurprisingly.How clients are charged: BBL Churchill doesn’t charge fees or take a percentage of settlements. Rather, it says it charges interest on the money spent on the case. “Borrowers are approved for a certain amount based on their assets, case specifics and what they need,” he said. “They then draw down each month for what they need — rent, legal expenses and experts — and that amount is what they pay interest on.”Why he founded the business:“It really gutted me time and again, people who’d given up college or a career to support their significant other, who became incredibly successful financially and wanted to move on,” he said. “Imagine being in a partnership where you’d sacrificed and then find you have no income or credit history and can’t get a loan to hire a lawyer or pay rent.”

Novitas US

Nicole Noonan, CEO of Novitas US divorce funding firm.

Nicole Noonan, CEO of Novitas Courtesy of Nicole Noonan

CEO: Nicole Noonan, Esq.Backstory: Noonan used to practice matrimonial law, and often, prospective clients didn’t have the money to see a divorce through to a favorable settlement. “There was the stay-at-home mom that gave up her career to support her husband and raise children,” she recalled. “When she caught him cheating and asked him for a divorce, he promptly moved out, cut off her credit cards and hired a well-known divorce attorney.”Why she founded the business: Noonan wanted Novitas US to bring “equality through equity” via divorce funding, which would allow clients to hire experts that they would never have been able to retain otherwise.“The quality of the attorney can be matched with funding,” she said. “Where one spouse is able to hire a leader in the matrimonial bar, the other, without funding, might be forced to hire an attorney fresh out of law school.”How clients are charged: Novitas US charges a monthly fee, but only collects it when a settlement is reached. Noonan only wishes that she could have given this service to clients in the past.Philosophy: “Divorces are typically unplanned and leave the non-moneyed spouse financially unprepared,” she said. “While there may still be heartache, there is less of a headache with funding.”